1. Field
Exemplary embodiments of the invention relate to a liquid crystal display (“LCD”) device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A liquid crystal display (“LCD”), one of flat panel displays that are currently the most widely used, may generally include two substrates provided with electric field generating electrodes such as a pixel electrode, a common electrode, and the like, and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the substrates.
An LCD may apply voltage to a field generating electrode to generate an electric field in a liquid crystal layer and accordingly, determine a direction of alignment of liquid crystals of the liquid crystal layer to control the polarization of incident light, thereby displaying an image.
Among the LCDs, a vertically aligned mode LCD in which a long axis of the liquid crystal molecules are arranged to be vertical to a display panel in the state in which an electric field is not applied, has been in the limelight due to a high contrast ratio and a wide reference viewing angle thereof. In the vertically aligned mode LCD, a method of implementing a wide viewing angle is to form a plurality of domains in which alignment directions of liquid crystal molecules are different, in a single pixel region.
As a means of forming a plurality of domains, there is a method of forming a cut portion such as a slit or the like, in a field generating electrode. Liquid crystal molecules are rearranged by fringe field generated between field generating electrode portions facing an edge of the cut portion, whereby a plurality of domains may be defined.
As a result of forming the cut portion, the field generating electrode has a uniform pattern. For example, the field generating electrode may have a cross-shaped stem electrode portion and fine branch portions extended from the cross-shaped stem electrode portion. The cut portion may be disposed between the fine branch portions.